house of Shiba
by pyramidekheops
Summary: after Okinawa...


HOUSE OF SHIBA

(A week after returning from visiting their aunt.)

It has been two weeks since the attack on Yokohama and the counterattack of the Japanese government was brutal and unforgiving. Twenty-four hours after repelling the onslaught of the enemy forces, the military had completely destroyed the enemy fleet gathered in Zhènhai Naval Port. To do this, they've deployed their secret weapon "Material Burst." Local newspapers as well as the foreign press spoke only of that. Obviously, the major foreign powers had already understood that it was a Strategic-Class magic weapon. But the Operator was still unknown.

"Material Burst" was the most powerful magic of her brother. Magic that can exceed Weapon of Mass Destruction.

Miyuki remembered the first time her brother had used that magic almost three years ago. It was also at that time that she decided to be really a sister to her brother even though most members of the Yotsuba clan disapproved of her doing so.

_**(Three years ago)**_

After their return from Okinawa, Miyuki spent almost all her time with her brother to know him better. Their mother was still visibly against this arrangement, but she did not prohibit their interaction most of the time when found together. Rather, Miyuki felt her mother looked at her brother curiously. She did not understand why. Their relationship in the surface had not changed, Miya always behaved with her son as before, except for the restriction of him interacting more with her sister. Something that would have horrified Miyuki not too long ago. She also noticed that their mother never left the mansion.

Before Okinawa, Miya did not go out much and she receives guest very little. In fact, she will only entertain guests if it was necessary. This can be explained because of her poor health. But the fact was that in one strange afternoon; their mother had told her brother that she needed to talk to him alone. This surprised Miyuki because it was the first time, if she was not mistaken, for their mother to ask for her brother. On habits when it came to her brother, their mother never bothers to check who is present with them and she would simply order her brother.

Miyuki was in her room. She never knew what they had discussed during their conversation. Later, her brother came to join her and although she was dying from curiosity to know what they had discussed, she had not asked her brother and he had not said anything either. But it must be quite serious as her brother looked thoughtful, and this made her lose concentration on her summer homework. Miyuki was far from being a slacker. In fact, she was one of the best students in their middle school. In truth, she had hardly ever needed someone to help her study. Although the school was deemed elite, she was doing pretty well. The fact she does her assignments with her brother was a way to spend time with him.

They worked in the library. To be precise, Miyuki was working while Tatsuya was overseeing her work. As an honor student, he had of course finished his homework. She wondered for a brief moment when he had found time for it. Unless he finished his assignments before leaving Okinawa though it is not that important.

She took her books before heading to her brother's room. She had hoped to enter his room for the first time. As incredible as it may seem, she and her brother, neither of them had ever enter the room of the other. This can be explained by the fact that their relationship was very limited, somewhat prohibited by the family even. So much so that even in their school, very few people knew they were related. In addition, her brother's room was located in another wing of the mansion, part of the house that normally Miyuki would not wonder off to. Even at their home, to the family member that she had asked the way seemed shocked. It was not the first time it happened. The whole household was disturbed about their new closeness, and why their mother had not done anything. Of course, no one would ever dare openly criticize their mother, but it was still clear to all that they had hoped and expected that their mother would have intervened. Miyuki did not care. They can say and think what they want she said before stopping in front of her brother's room.

If she had hoped to surprise him, it was not to be. Before she could do anything, the door was open before her. She jumped and instinctively took a step back.

Her brother smiled at her. In fact, it seems that it took him a great effort not to laugh.

"Onii-sama, you caught me but I haven't yet made any noise. How do you do that Onii-sama? I always feel that you always know where I am."

"That is a secret Miyuki. One day I'll tell you how it works."

Without another word, he stepped aside to let his sister pass.

The room was surprisingly spacious. Not as much as her own, but it was still big enough, but it was strictly functional. A well made bed, a wardrobe with a door on a large mirror, a desk with a computer next to it, a workstation for CAD that he had brought back from Okinawa. However, the thing that she did not expect was the presence of a large collection of books. An entire wall was occupied by what appeared to be a library. The documents were protected by clear glass and they seemed to be mostly new.

Without noticing her own actions, she found herself in front of her brother's collection of books.

There were all kinds of books in display. Many dealt with magic while others were dedicated to science. Books on mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology, there were also books in history, geography and economics. A single look was enough for her to know that she could not use any of her brother's books. Their content was not yet within reach. It was her brother after all. It was a genius. Still, they were only in the first year of their middle school and she was almost sure that many of these books were the level of high school or even university.

She realized that she had been standing in front of her brother's library for several minutes already without saying anything. She saw through from the window that her brother was watching from his room without saying anything. He had expected her to say something. But she did not know what to say. He always wore a smile while looking at her.

"Miyuki!"

She was surprised to hear her name. She turned to face him without knowing how she stood before him.

"Do you want help with your homework?"

She nodded wordlessly

"In that case, wait in the library, I'll meet you there in five minutes."

"Really, Onii-sama?"

"Of course, I cannot wait to assist my little princess." After that statement, her brother slid his fingers through her long black hair and lovingly stroked it. Miyuki blushed violently. She loved it when her brother caressed her hair. Both had developed a taste for this little ritual after Okinawa. Consolation for the death of their mother Guardian, Tatsuya had used and abused this gesture, and her sister soon calmed when he did so. It became a habit when they were separate.

Retracing her steps, Miyuki said to herself that she had done well. She had her first stroke of luck of the day. It was well worth the trip. In addition, she will get help from her Onii-sama in her homework! What more could she want! She was so happy she began to hum a song. Something she never did.

**Miyuki (Point of View)**

It's almost midnight. I could not sleep. I should though.

Tomorrow is the resumption of classes. The same routine will resume in a few hours. I asked Onii-sama just now if he wanted to go to school with me. He smiled before answering it did not bother him.

It's strange, when I was so hard to get along with him, so hard to bear, today I cannot imagine a day without seeing him. My day revolves around him.

Before, I tried to please Oka-sama.

Today I tried to please Onii-sama.

A week after our return from Okinawa, Onii-sama asked me if it would bother me to spend all my free time with him. He worried about me because people saw him in dim view of the fact that the first successor to our aunt was to be seen with somebody that the family refused to recognize as one of their own.

It has pained me that Onii-sama feels foreign to our family. But I must admit that he was unfortunately right. I am also at fault. Because of my naivety and my ignorance, I have contributed to his situation.

The only people who liked Onii-sama are our cousins, Ayako, Fumiya and Sakurai-san. But the latter had died, and our cousins did not live with us.

I realized that since the age of six, his life so far had been a long lonely road.

It had to change. No matter what people say, I am and will remain by his side.

When I confessed to Onii-sama that for years, I had thought he did not like me and that perhaps he hated me, he seemed a little shocked and saddened by my statement. When he asked me why, I thought he hated me, I did not know what to say. All the reasons that seemed valid to me before, I found suddenly surface.

The fact that he never played with me. It was mostly my fault because I did everything to avoid him.

The fact that he seemed to enjoy their cousins' presence and he treats them as his own siblings. That is also my fault.

The fact that I'm selfishness sometimes show, and sometimes I am thankless with him. I acted like a spoiled rotten child sometimes.

And worst of all, the fact that because of his obligations as my Guardian, he had no right to his own life, or have a dream like all children do.

I overestimate. He was my Guardian because he wished it and not because he would never break the oath that he had given Aunt Maya and Oka-sama.

Onii-sama told me that he thought I was cute when I was doing my little quirks. He admitted that sometimes before he sleeps the memory of my face that I posted them when I wanted to sulk gave him good laugh.

I noticed that Onii-sama likes to tease me especially when I'm running out of words. I sometimes feel like he can read in my mind in those moments.

I wonder how my friends will react tomorrow at school. Will they be surprised to know that Onii-sama is my brother? Onii-sama is quite famous in our school.

At the entrance examination, he had the highest score the school has ever seen since it's long history. And even for the end of term exams, Onii-sama has been excellent.

We are not in the same class, but I know that Onii-sama has many fans and admirers at school. I also know he has few friends in Middle School. He is not antisocial, it is because of his reserved and cold presence makes it difficult for his classmates to interact with him. Now that I think about it, the school is probably the only place I could observed him with leisure. Because we bear the same surname, many people including my friends I have often wondered if we were related. Usually, I did not answer, leaving speculation for them to keep guessing. But tomorrow, that will change.

My friends will be greatly astonished because of the truth.

Today, in the course of the afternoon, there were several guests at the mansion.

All official members of the Yotsuba.

They were not numerous. Just ten people who really holds power in the family. There was my aunt, the matriarch, uncle Kuroba, we had crossed a few weeks earlier in Okinawa.

Also present were my uncles Ichigo, Byakuya, Zaraki and great-uncle Orima. Aunt Isane, Suzuki and grandfather Wataru. Hayama-san, in the right side of my aunt, was allowed to attend.

Oka-sama had convened to discuss the events of Okinawa. Mother had allowed me to attend this council. But she told me that I should not say anything during the meeting.

When everyone was settled, mother operated a small terminal and the room immediately plunged into darkness. One wall is lit and images appeared on the screen.

I recognized every image that was shown.

It was the pictures that we had already observed in the Okinawa military base. Images of the battle of Okinawa, the battle in the beach against the invading forces.

I was relatively calm. Maybe because I was present during the clash. Once again, I was captivated by the magic of Onii-sama.

As he annihilated his opponents either one by one or by a group of soldiers who instantly volatize.

And of course, any enemy war machines, with or without a crew shared the same fate.

Onii-sama was unable to make to create a barrier or shield to protect themselves from enemy attacks. He did not need to. Any attacks both conventional (bullets, bombs, grenades, missiles, rockets etc..) and magic attacks, everything was obliterated. It is as if a CAD generated a destructive invisible field around it. And all who came into contact with this field disappeared.

Disappeared just as enemy soldiers did.

The film was not long. We saw how the enemy was obliterated, with some being taken as prisoners.

My brother stood on the beach with two others.

Then the picture changed suddenly. We now had an aerial view of the open sea and boats. Several warships apparently. Instinctively, I knew that this fleet had famously disappeared. I do not know how Oka-sama acquired these images, but I wanted to see the famous light that we had seen from the base, the light that destroyed all.

And I was not disappointed.

The fireball that erupted in the middle of one of the ships was so big, so bright, so dazzling that the room that we were in was also flooded with light. A light so strong that everyone covered their eyes, me included.

When the intensity of the light gradually lowered and finally disappear, we saw that the fleet had disappeared and the sea that was calm before the explosion was now shaken.

Oh, Onii-sama told me that there was a tsunami after that.

Oka-sama stopped the video and the light returned.

I watched all my uncles and aunts. And I can say one thing. There was fear in their eyes. Oka-sama then proceeded to relate all that had happened there.

They were all gathered here today to debate whether or not the Yotsuba had reveal that they had a strategic class magician in their ranks. It was only a matter of time before the information is spread as the magic that was used was too widespread and Oka-sama did not want the public to know the existence of Onii-sama.

I shared her opinion. Oba-sama, Aunt Maya also agreed. She told us that she would do everything to prevent leakage. I was a little surprised Oka-sama and Oba-sama came to an agreement for once. Often time, they often oppose.

I felt anger threatened to overwhelm me. I mean, I was there to listen as they talked about Onii-sama without one of them asking his opinion. As if he had no say in the matter.

With great difficulty, I kept quiet and tried to think of something else.

And as it usually happens to me these days, my thoughts took me back to Onii-sama. I remember our study sessions in the library.

Onii-sama does not feel anything for Oka-sama, but it remains true that he was her son.

Onii-sama explained to me the lessons in such a simple way that it was so easy to understand. Oka-sama did the same thing when she taught me magic. For people who barely tolerate each other, their methodology was broadly similar.

Except that Onii-sama was much more patient. And I was more comfortable with him.

For some reason, I wanted to see him now; I wanted to be away from all these adults, I wanted to feel his strong hands stroking my hair.

But to leave this room discreetly would be inappropriate. Moreover, it appears that they have reached an agreement. The Yotsuba family will cover the incident in Okinawa and Onii-sama will continue his role as my Guardian.

In all honesty, I was relieved at the thought of Onii-sama continuing to watch over me. We would be able to deepen our relationships. There are so many things I want to know about him and there are many new things to discover when we're together.

I realize that this he is a wonderful big brother. He knows almost everything I asked. And I like to ask lots of complicated questions just to see him deliver me a simple answer.

Every second spent with Onii-sama is a real delight. I began to understand why Ayako and Fumiya genuinely admire him. And I almost not discovered it.

But in all seriousness, because I have decided that I will stay with Onii-sama all my life even if that means I have to face the demons of the earth.


End file.
